


bespoke

by Svynakee



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Fluff, Gen, I FINALLY GOT IT AND IT'S SO GOOD I'M WEARING IT FOREVER, I'm so happy, Oneshot, Post-Canon, ROYAL GUARD OUTFIT, fluff?.... I think it's fluff., i love it, link's first time putting on the royal guard outfit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-12 22:39:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12969927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Svynakee/pseuds/Svynakee
Summary: On his way through Hyrule Castle to face off against Ganon for the last time, Link found a certain outfit... clothing worn by the Royal Guards a hundred years ago. Curious, he tries them on.





	bespoke

**Author's Note:**

> The first thing I did after Champion's Ballad drop was to ignore everything, including baby Sidon, to rush to Hyrule Castle and find those CLOTHES. Since I refused to wear anything but the Royal Guard pieces during my search, I ended up getting fried a lot by Guardians. WORTH IT THOUGH.  
>   
> Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that Nintendo would hear my plea and grant my wish. Words cannot express how thankful I am, but this is the closest I can get.

The stables were never completely silent, with the gentle snores of those staying overnight and the shuffling and snorting of the horses outside. An owl hooted in a nearby tree. There was the soft sound of oil burning in the lantern above the counter, the creak of the building settling in the night.

And the sound of stealthy footsteps slipping out of the bed, the click of a belt being fastened. The satisfied grunt of someone enjoying a good stretch after some well-deserved rest.

Link twitched back the curtains over Zelda’s bed. The newly freed princess – or was she a queen now? – was still fast asleep, cocooned between warm blanket and soft mattress. They’d given it to her free of charge, waving away the rupees Link offered, along with new clothes and a bath. It was surprising how generous people became when faced with a young woman in a ragged white dress, almost falling off her white horse from exhaustion. Now she slept for the first time in a century. There were still fruitcake crumbs stuck to her cheek. Link smiled, and let the curtains fall back.

He himself had become used to sleeping for only a few hours at a time. And even then, it was just a light doze, sword at the ready for any monsters that cared to disturb him.

The stable owner nodded to him as he headed out. Link scanned the horizon for the familiar towers of Hyrule Castle. It was much harder to spot now, dark and lifeless and not gripped by evil enchantment. Perhaps one day he’d call it home once more.

He walked to the waterfront. The stars were reflected on the surface, shards of cold diamond glittering on black velvet. Somewhere out in the darkness a frog croaked a lonely song. Fireflies danced on the breeze. Once his eyes got used to it, the full moon’s light picked out the landscape as clearly as any lantern.

Of course, the glowing face of the Sheikah Slate prompted destroyed his night vision. Link swiped through his options until he got to the part of the inventory dedicated to armour. The newest additions would be found last.

He selected the options he wanted. Blue light engulfed his body and there was the familiar phantom caress of ancient magic, like being tickled by the wind or falling through a tunnel of extremely delicate feathers. It was over in a moment.

Link leaned over to inspect his appearance in the water. The cap was light and rather floppy, and his hair had been tucked under the brim, out of his eyes. The emblem of the royal family was picked out in gold. There was, in fact, quite a bit of gold: along the collar, on the sleeves, embroidered on the front of the tunic. Red and blue were the main colours, paired with white gloves and boots – these Link considered rather impractical, until he realised that the royal guards probably didn’t spend their days climbing mountains and trekking in the dirt.

The effect was… striking. Neat. Even a bit… handsome. It wasn’t like anything Link had seen before – more elaborate and layered than Gerudo clothing, the intricate work with gold threat almost reminiscent of Prince Sidon’s regalia, the designs reminding him of the engravings he’d seen in old ruins.

Except he _had_ seen it before, hadn’t he?

A long time ago…

_You were born into a family of the royal guard…_

It was quite a snug fit. Warm, comfortable, lightweight. Link drew the Master Sword and worked his way through a practice set, slashing and parrying the evening air. There wasn’t a single moment of tightness, not a single snag or tug. He was tempted to wear this as often as the Champion’s tunic, except it seemed unfortunate to ruin the fine clothes.

Link leaned over the water’s edge and looked himself over again. He did a few experimental knightly poses, or what he assumed were knightly poses – standing guard with his sword drawn, tip resting on the ground like he’d seen in statues; a sharp salute, back straight and legs pressed together; a regal, sweeping bow.

_Your path seems to mirror your father’s._

He wondered when the last time he’d seen someone in this uniform was. How many months, or weeks, or days before his hundred-year sleep? Or hours? And who had this particular uniform, hidden throughout the castle, been meant for?

If things had been different… if he hadn’t been the Champion, if Calamity Ganon had truly been just an ancient myth… would he have grown up to receive one of his own?

Link crossed his arms and sighed. That kind of thinking was unhealthy. Such thoughts tended to crop up in moments such as this, when he was alone in the wilderness, listening to the muted nocturnal sounds of nature that soon merged into one background noise that left him with only the voice of his own tired mind… thoughts that left him shivering in front of a roaring campfire, or drained despite a good night’s rest.

The important thing was to focus on the present. Calamity Ganon was gone. Zelda was safe. He looked good in uniform.

Suddenly there was a feeling of weight, a light pressure on his shoulder that spread warmth through the cloth and into his skin. There was a sensation of a _presence_ right behind him – but not one that sent his gut tingling as adrenaline flooded his system, not one that raised alarm. It was more like shrugging into a comfy cloak, or seeing the welcoming lights of a stable after a hard day of travelling. Something… familiar. Something safe.

_‘You’re a damn fine sight in those clothes, lad. Finer than I ever was. I’m proud of you.’_

Link turned.

There was no one there. A breeze stirred the grass that stretched all the way to the stable. Nothing moved between the sparse trees. The road was empty in both directions.

And yet.

Link moved his own hand to his shoulder. The warmth was already fading away, like a dream upon waking. And yet.

“…father?”

**Author's Note:**

> i like to imagine that this is the same Link from my other fic, [doubt](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12922887).


End file.
